What are the most effective leadership styles for project management?

I have always live by this quote: You must Inspect what you expect. Everyone immediately has an answer or different way of completing a task. But if it’s going to meet your vision then it’s up to you to monitor it along the way.

Situational Leadership also requires the leader to be at the forefront as the guiding light for the Team. The team may be a bit hesitant about the outcome if the step is taken, it's at this moment the leader should come forth and lead the team in the pre-decided course of action.

I leveraged situational leadership to once drive a project to build a Digital Bank. This required engaging various stakeholders I led by coaching while leveraging The ‘what’s in it for me’ model and then ‘what, how and why’ model to help the various stakeholder see how the product would benefit each of them and add to their bottom lines, this also required having multiple sessions with all Key Stakeholders to achieve alignment. This included Internal and external stakeholders. I also led by supporting External Stakeholders to ensure we meet all regulatory requirements, Investors to help pitch our value propositions, and Technology Partners to help them see how a partnership can help get us the desired result and benefit them also

I just took over a project that was left without a leader, without any continuity, and a new environment that I am not familiar with. The team is adaptive, knowledgeable, motivated and hardworking, so as a leader, they made my job easier. My situational leadership style varied day by day. They needed direction and a drive initially, then coaching and mentoring through situations they were unfamiliar or not proficient. I offer perspectives and ideas from and outsider and let the team decide what's best for them, and then I supportntheir decision. They have buy in, they are taken care of, and they can focus on the job. All the while, I can learn from them.

One think that I have found to be helpful is transparency. I believe this trait transcends the realm of just project management or situational leadership. It is the expectation of clear communication up and down the chain.

The choice between transformational and adaptive leadership depends on the project's specific context and goals. Transformational leadership is particularly effective for projects requiring creativity and long-term vision, excelling at inspiring teams, and fostering innovation. Conversely, adaptive leadership is better suited for projects in rapidly changing environments, where flexibility and quick problem-solving are paramount. Often, the most effective approach involves a blend of both styles, with transformational leadership setting the vision and adaptive leadership guiding the project through evolving circumstances, creating a balanced and successful project management strategy.

In my opinion, Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks program idealizes Transformational Leadership. What Ben Rich and Kelly Johnson were able to achieve with the F-117 program, specifically, was transformational. They epitomized the four dimensions to build teams that had shared visions and intellectual knowledge to plan, create and successfully launch advanced aviation programs to meet stringent military timelines. Having been a part of the F-117 program in the Air Force, the knowledge I gained studying their legacy shaped my approach to project management throughout the rest of my military career and beyond. I encourage everyone to read their story. It is a testament to both transformational leadership and effective program management.

Idealized Influence: The project manager becomes the beacon, a living embodiment of the values and principles that define success. Leading by example, they instill a sense of trust and admiration, setting the standard for excellence. Inspirational Motivation: A transformational leader is a master storyteller, painting a vivid picture of the future. Through compelling narratives and unwavering optimism, they inspire the team and stakeholders, creating a shared vision that transcends the mundane. Intellectual Stimulation: The leader becomes the architect of curiosity, challenging the status quo and encouraging innovative thinking. Intellectual stimulation sparks creativity within the team, fostering an environment where new ideas blossom.

On a transformational leadership style, this seems to be a terrific opportunity for coaches to foster growth and bring out the best of franchise athletes of organizations. This approach is essential to see ability and capabilities mesh into results. The overall vision is a winning adaptation to overcome obstacles that culminate in titles. The challenge here is the constant barrage of outside static and developed habits that frequently collide with expected flawless fundamentals.

In transformational leadership creating a shared vision is key. This share vision is bigger than the ideas of any individual, and can be contributed to by everyone. Allowing all ideas to come together, and everyone understanding how their contribution is making a difference builds loyalty and trust.

As a Servant Leader you lead by example and lead by service. You lead by example by taking the first step and usually the hardest step so as to set an example to the rest of the team members And you lead by service by serving and catering to the needs of your team which will require your time, resources, energy so as to ensure they are functioning optimally and all their issues are resolved

As a servant leader, you lead from the front and you ought to listen more and talk less. Your leadership must mirror your beliefs, values and ethos. Leadership can either be inherited or acquired along the "journey" of this thing called-Life.

The way I've approached servant leadership in my 11 years as a Naval Officer has been focused on identifying & removing barriers that inhibit my team's ability to accomplish daily tasks. For example, on the ship, there are limited computer assets available for computer-based work. Sailors become frustrated in this daily nuisance, which erodes at morale & productivity. When the daily workplace obstacles pile on high, Sailors are demotivated & even discouraged from accomplishing tasks because the barrier takes more energy to overcome than completing the task itself. Servant leadership is identifying those obstacles & actively seeking ways to help overcome so the team's energy can be re-focused on tasks that are actually productive.

We need more of Servant Leadership today. The socio-cultural environment of today needs empathy on part of leaders. We need the employees to come with their passion as much as their talent, thus a positive work environment and a facilitating mentor is needed more than ever.

Servant leadership worked well for me when faced with an engineer who was insulting and accusatory on a construction project. Rather than engage in an argument, I tried to clarify what the engineer's main points were, by rewording and summarizing those points and asking them to confirm that I had correctly understood. This helped me understand their perspective, and it helped them feel understood. They calmed down, and, since I now understood their intent, we were able to come to a collaborative solution that was better for the project.

Adaptive leadership is key for many building construction projects, because of all the uncertainties in construction (weather, interest rates, funding sources, market volatility, political climates), and the variation between project sites (groundwater levels, soil types/bearing, climate, infrastructure, municipal requirements, transportation access, regional building materials). No two projects are identical, and successful projects require adaptation, flexibility and learning. This leadership style can be combined with other types of leadership. In addition, on construction projects there may be adaptive leadership with the leading members of the project team, but other types of leadership within each organization.

Adaptive Leadership is best suited to leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence, as it can be hard to identify the difference between logical responses and emotive responses brought on by the stress of a changing environment

In todays ecomonic climate Customer prefences is ever changing and market conditions are becoming even more volatile Therefore being adaptive as a leader is an important quality to have. The ability to fail fast, learn quickly and be nimble enough to make changes speedily cant be over estimated

While transformation may be necessary for dying organisms and provides fame, adaptation keeps healthy organizations out of that crisis and provides returns. Every member garners rumors, facts, and messages about the environment, information is distilled, and measures are taken proactively rather than reactively.

Adaptive leadership in project management is about equipping the team and stakeholders to navigate change and uncertainty. Its strength is in fostering adaptability, promoting learning, and encouraging innovative solutions amidst evolving project conditions. During a project to implement a new IT system, unexpected technical challenges arise. Utilizing adaptive leadership, the project manager begins by "diagnosing the situation", pinpointing the specific technical issues and their potential impacts. By "mobilizing the system", they rally the team and relevant stakeholders, communicating the need for change and ensuring everyone is aligned. In the face of change, it's not the strongest that thrive, but the most adaptive.

As a Leader its important you are able to get all your team member involved, participating and contributing. This way you can get all team members involved, aligned to the vision, display ownership and function optimally at their best

Collaborative leadership creates an environment where people are engaged, motivated and challenged. It creates an environment where everyone can play to their strengths. No maintain alignment in this leadership style a strong vision of where the team are going is key to ensuring progress, if the vision gets blurry it can become hard to arrive at consensus.

In this new economy, we will very often form teams with multi specialisation. It is more imperative now, for leaders to be able to harness the strength of different expert and create a common goal and vision.

I would add emotional leadership: Many times it's not the resources or schedule or requirements what need to be worked out, but the spirit of the team, and it's not always useful just to fake positivism, clap your hands and scream "we got this". Sometimes you need to listen to the people, talk about their fears, their concerns, make them feel valued and find ways to get the most from each individual.

I also do not like the verticals of these leadership styles. They are a tool to ID large buckets, but everything overlaps. I believe there are three tools that lead to success while leading a team and working with stakeholders. Apply the right person with the right skills to the right problem. Utilize the right motivational technique to achieve the best results with everyone involved, and this will depend on the individual you are interacting with. Finally, serve as the shield/translator and allow the workers to work while you translate the stakeholders requirements into clear guidance.

There is not a one size fits all. Early on in my career I learned just how challenging leadership is to understand and to accomplish. Understanding the different styles will ultimately guide you in how you apply yourself but it does not mean you are a good leader. Maintaining the vision and working toward the goals of the mission is paramount. People have different ways of finding their target, understanding this helped me connect and communicate much more effectively as a leader to help find solutions and get us all toward finding success.

One thing I believe is most valuable and often overlooked in leadership is the emotional intelligence skill set of the ‘leader.’ Having experience in all leadership styles definitely makes one well rounded, but the key to unlocking hidden potential and creating cross functional synergy is the leaders ability to read his/her audience and be able to transition from one leadership style to another sometimes within the same meeting. This maintains engagement while increasing the excitement of the ‘change,’ which is critical when often many oppose change in general.

The choice of the most effective leadership style in Project Management is a matter of subjectivity, influenced by factors like project complexity, team composition and location, and project objectives. A proficient Project Manager frequently blends elements from different leadership styles to adeptly respond to evolving situations, guaranteeing project success. Nevertheless, irrespective of the chosen leadership style, certain unchanging leadership principles are imperative in the project management journey. These principles encompass vision, values, inspiration, clear communication, integrity, empathy, adaptability, and accountability.